A 5.7-magnitude earthquake jolted Mataram on Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), on Thursday morning, triggering panic among residents, most of whom were survivors of multiple earthquakes that rattled the island in August. No casualties were reported.

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded the earthquake at 9 a.m. local time, with the epicenter located some 23 kilometers to the northwest of Mataram and 10 kilometers in depth.

“It did not trigger a tsunami,” said BMKG Mataram’s geophysics station head Agus Riyanto.

He said the tremor could be felt in Mataram and Denpasar in the neighboring province of Bali.

“In Labuapi, the tremor was relatively strong. Residents panicked and immediately fled their houses,” Ahmad Purnawarman, a resident of Labuapi, West Lombok, said.

A similar scene was also seen in Mataram as most residents rushed to leave buildings as soon as they felt the tremor.

Agus also encouraged residents to stay calm and remain alert for official warnings concerning earthquakes.

Strong earthquakes measuring 7.0 and 6.4 on the Richter scale hit Lombok in August. Authorities recorded at least 469 deaths and 7,773 injuries as a result of the quakes. (swd)